Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Ornamental Ducks
There are numerous types of ornamental ducks. This is the category into which all of the
wild ducks fall, as well as the Calls, Indies, Hookbills, and Crested. I place the Runners
here as well, as they are so incredibly cute with their odd walking and unique manner-
isms. All of these ducks add personality, spice, and, of course, color to your flock.
Who can resist the walk of a good
Runner
duck? Its weird body shape looks as
though someone tried to pull it apart; it appears to be stretched into a nonfunctional
stance. The taller the stance and goofier the look, the better the Runner, according to the
standard. You never want a Runner with a short neck or a slouchy stance. Great care
must be taken in the breeding of Runner ducks to maintain proper stature.
Tuft
Calls
are tiny ducks, smaller than wild Mallards. They are average layers of rather
small eggs that are actually large for their body size. Calls get their name because they
“call” a lot and are the noisiest of all the ducks. It is a pleasant sound, but these birds are
not a smart choice if you have close neighbors. Call ducklings are somewhat difficult
to ship and are a challenge to hatch. A good Call has a short, stubby beak that makes
getting out of the shell a struggle.
Black East Indies
are elegant and shiny. They glisten in the sunlight and make an
outstanding addition to a pond flock, though they're not the most personable of the duck
breeds. They have never been very friendly to me; I find them rather standoffish.
